Most employers ask about the concessions first. Ask about the invoice instead. RDA Orana charges $990 plus GST per position before anyone reads your evidence, and that fee is non-refundable. Therefore the order of your work matters. Get the occupation, the right RDA and clean labour market testing settled before you pay anything. This guide runs through the Orana DAMA in that order.
Five RDA regions, five inboxes
The Orana DAMA is a five-year agreement between RDA Orana and the Australian Government. However, the designated area reaches well past the Orana shires. The Designated Area Representative, or DAR, publishes five RDA regions.
- Orana: Dubbo Regional, Mid-Western Regional, Narromine, Gilgandra, Warren, Coonamble, Warrumbungle, Walgett, Brewarrina, Bogan, Cobar and Bourke.
- Central West: Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.
- Riverina: Bland, Carrathool, Coolamon, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Griffith, Hay, Junee, Leeton, Lockhart, Murrumbidgee, Narrandera, Snowy Valleys, Temora and Wagga Wagga.
- Murray: Albury, Balranald, Berrigan, Edward River, Federation, Greater Hume, Murray River, Wentworth and parts of the Snowy Valleys.
- Southern Inland: Wingecarribee, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan, Hilltops, Yass Valley, Queanbeyan-Palerang and Snowy Monaro.
Each region runs its own migration inbox. So a Griffith grower lodges with RDA Riverina, not with RDA Orana. Book the pre-lodgement meeting with the RDA for your own sub-region first. That meeting checks your eligibility, your occupation, your testing and the concessions you need. For background, read our explainer on what a DAMA is and who signs it.
Your business must also clear three gates. It must be a registered Australian entity. Next, it must have operated in the region for at least 12 months. Finally, it must carry no adverse information under workplace law. Sponsored workers must then live and work in the region.
Three clocks start the day you lodge
Employers often treat endorsement as a single wait. In practice, several deadlines run at once. The DAR publishes the following service standards and validity periods.
| Stage | Published standard |
|---|---|
| Initial feedback on your application | Within 10 business days of lodgement |
| Validity of the endorsement application | Three months from lodgement |
| Endorsement letter after a positive assessment | Within 10 business days |
| Business endorsement, once granted | 12 months |
| Labour agreement request in ImmiAccount | Home Affairs responds within one to three months |
| Nominating a worker after approval | 12 months |
| Nominee starting work on a subclass 482 | Within 90 days of entry, or of grant in Australia |
Notice how the three-month window works. It exists so you can answer requests for more information. Therefore incomplete evidence eats your own runway, not the DAR’s.
What you pay, and what the fee does not buy
Assessment does not begin until the DAR receives payment. Refund grounds are very limited, and a later visa refusal is not one of them. Commonwealth charges then sit on top.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| DAR endorsement, first five positions | $990 excl GST per position |
| Each position after the first five | $550 excl GST per position |
| Variation, additional positions | $800 excl GST per position |
| Variation, smaller changes | $500 excl GST per position |
| Sponsorship approval, Home Affairs | $420 |
| Subclass 482 nomination | $330 |
| Subclass 186 nomination | $540 |
| Skilling Australians Fund levy, 482 | $1,200 per year under $10 million turnover, $1,800 at or above |
| Skilling Australians Fund levy, 186 nomination | $3,000 or $5,000, one off |
Importantly, the levy stays with the employer. You cannot pass it to the worker. Your positions also sit inside a five-year labour agreement, counted by occupation and by year. So adding occupations or positions later triggers a variation, and another fee.
Read your ANZSCO row before you price the job
The Orana DAMA covers 129 occupations. Concessions do not attach to all of them. Instead, the DAR flags each occupation across three separate columns: income, English and age.
Consider a worked example. Aged or Disabled Carer, ANZSCO 423111, sits at skill level 4. That row allows the income concession and an age concession to 55. However, it allows no English concession. By contrast, Agricultural and Horticultural Mobile Plant Operator, 721111, carries all three. So two vacancies in the same shed can price very differently.
The income concession
Home Affairs sets the income threshold at $79,423, excluding superannuation. That figure applies to nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. The Orana DAMA then allows two concessions to 90 per cent, which is about $71,481 on the current figure.
Type 1 requires monetary earnings of at least 90 per cent. Type 2 lets guaranteed food and board cover the gap. That component caps at 10 per cent. Meanwhile the total package must still reach the full threshold. Those benefits must be measurable and written into the contract. Meanwhile bonuses, commissions and non-guaranteed overtime never count. The award and the annual market salary rate still apply, so the higher figure governs the offer. Our subclass 482 page sets out the standard salary rules.
English and experience
Where the row allows it, an overall IELTS 5.0 applies, or PTE Academic 31. For the 482 and 494, no component minimum applies. For the 186, no component may fall below IELTS 4.0, or PTE 24. Licensing rules can still demand more. In addition, you must justify the concession and address workplace safety risks.
Experience rules loosen slightly too. Where the worker gained the relevant AQF qualification in Australia, the 482 needs one year of relevant full-time experience. The 494 needs two years. Occupations off the standard skilled lists still require a skills assessment. Meat occupations follow the Meat Industry Labour Agreement instead.
The age concession does not move the 186 age limit
Age concessions now run to 55 for skill levels 1 to 4. For skill level 5, they run to 50. However, that concession works at the temporary stage. The subclass 186 still requires applicants under 45 at the time of application.
So you can sponsor a 52 year old chef where the occupation row allows it. Just plan a temporary visa, rather than permanent residence in year three. A worker may reach the subclass 186 after two years in the region. That service must sit on a 482 granted under the agreement. Further requirements apply. Alternatively, a 494 holder may become eligible for the subclass 191 after three years, with no employer nomination. Our guide to DAMA concessions and the permanent pathway covers the interaction in detail.
Testing the local market, and what happens afterwards
You must show genuine local recruitment across the last 12 months. Acceptable evidence includes recruitment agencies, newspapers, trade publications and industry newsletters. Job boards such as CareerOne, Seek and Australian JobSearch also count, as does work with Workforce Australia. However, Home Affairs sets the duration, content and medium standards.
Obligations continue after the grant. A 482 nominee must start within 90 days of entry, or within 90 days of grant onshore. If they never start, notify Home Affairs, because the visa holder faces cancellation. Likewise, notify the Department when employment ends. The worker then has 60 days to find another approved sponsor, obtain another visa or depart.
Taking over another employer’s sponsored worker is possible, but not quick. First you need your own endorsement and a genuine vacancy. You also need testing evidence and your own labour agreement. The worker may only start once the new nomination is approved.
Frequently asked questions
Which RDA do I apply to if my business sits in Wagga Wagga?
Wagga Wagga sits in the Riverina region, so RDA Riverina assesses your endorsement request. Each of the five RDA regions runs its own migration inbox and pre-lodgement meetings.
Is the Orana DAMA endorsement fee refundable if the visa is refused?
No. The DAR charges the processing fee up front and treats it as non-refundable. Refund grounds are very limited, and a visa refusal does not create one.
How long does an Orana DAMA endorsement stay valid?
A business endorsement lasts 12 months from the date it is granted. Separately, your endorsement application stays valid for three months from lodgement.
Can an Orana DAMA age concession get a 50 year old permanent residence?
Not through the subclass 186. The age concession applies at the temporary stage, while the 186 still requires applicants under 45 at application.
What happens if a sponsored worker resigns before the visa expires?
Notify Home Affairs through the notification of sponsor changes process. The worker then has 60 days to find another approved sponsor, be granted another visa or leave Australia.
This article is general information only and it is current at 10 September 2026. It is not legal advice and it does not consider your circumstances. Orana DAMA terms, charges and occupation lists are reviewed and they change. Please confirm current terms with the Designated Area Representative. Seek tailored advice before you act.